Conventional passenger and cargo vehicles typically provide information concerning operation of the vehicle as well as time, outside temperature and other ancillary electronic displays in the instrument panel directly in front of the vehicle operator. Clocks, radios, CD players and the like are often located in the panel next to the driver for more convenient viewing and use by the other passengers. Viewing of one or more of the displays or gauges in the panel requires shifting of the driver's or passenger's eyes down to the panel from the view through the front windshield. The shift or redirection of the line of the sight from the road to the vehicle interior also requires refocusing of the viewer's eyes on the particular gauge or display. Such distraction can result in accident or injury, especially if the vehicle operator is presented with an emergency situation during such viewing. Also, a driver may not notice illumination of a critical warning display relating to occupant safety or vehicle operation (such as of disablement of a passenger air bag) when the display is located in the instrument panel due to the information clutter caused by the great number of other displays commonly found in the instrument panel.
Perhaps in recognition of these information display viewing problems, automobile and truck manufacturers have placed information in displays in consoles attached to the headliner of the vehicle above the front windshield. However, reference to the information in such consoles also requires a redirection of the viewer's line of sight from the road toward the vehicle roof. Such redirection is even more pronounced in cab-forward automobile designs in which the head position of the vehicle operator is moved forward with respect to the windshield/headliner boundary such that the displays in the headliner mounted consoles are even more difficult to view.
Other types of information displays have been provided directly in, or attached to, the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle. These include displays located within the mirror case but behind the minor element which, of necessity, are limited in size so as not to interfere with the viewing area of the mirror itself. In others, an information display was mounted in the rim or edge of the rearview mirror case (such as in a bezel, lip or eyebrow portion) so as to avoid interference with the field of view of the mirror. However, the former type of through-the-reflective element display must be made integral with the reflective element in the mirror housing, and the latter type require that the mirror case is specifically designed for receipt of the display. The combined mirror and display in such constructions is also heavier than conventional mirrors resulting in increased vibration or oscillation and reduced quality images in the mirror surface. In addition, vehicle information display modules have been provided in housings removably attached to the rearview mirror support structure (such as in windshield button mounted units) such that with their displays are viewable by occupants of the vehicle.
Many of the above described information displays, and especially those provided in or attached to the interior rearview mirror of the vehicle, are primarily intended to provide information to the vehicle driver. In certain situations, however, it is important to provide information to the passenger or passengers in the vehicle and, particularly, the front seat passengers. An example is information concerning the operability of the Passenger Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (PSIR) system or air bag on the passenger side of the vehicle. Recent vehicle regulations allow control of the operation of a passenger side air bag system such that it may be switched off and disabled to prevent injuries when children are riding in the front passenger seat. It is important to allow the person in that front passenger seat to know whether the air bag system is operative or not. However, depending on the size of the passenger, and the seat position with respect to the position of the interior rearview mirror assembly, information displays primarily intended for reading by the vehicle driver may be difficult to see or read by smaller size passengers with the seat moved to its far forward position. Accordingly, there is also a need to provide information displays which are easily readable by front seat passengers regardless of the adjusted position of the interior rearview mirror assembly being used by the vehicle driver such that information important to that passenger can be provided.
In recognition of the above, the present invention was devised to provide for a vehicle rearview mirror support which would be substantially hidden from view by the vehicle occupants behind the rearview mirror housing but include an attachment to the vehicle and a connection allowing adjustment of the mirror position (such as a pivot) to accommodate various sizes of drivers, while having a display for information which avoids obstruction of the primary viewing zone of the vehicle operator through the front windshield but is visible adjacent, and preferably at the edge of, the rearview mirror housing. The support would require minimal vision shifting for conveying the displayed information to the vehicle operator while operating the vehicle, would alert vehicle occupants to critical and other vehicle pertinent information without confusion with other information displays, would provide improved vibration performance and clearer images in the rearview mirror itself, would house various vehicle accessories, and would meet governmental safety requirements for breakaway separation of objects in the vehicle cabin.
In addition, the present invention also provides for the positioning of information displays readable by vehicle occupants other than the vehicle-driver, and especially front seat passengers of a smaller size when the front seat is positioned in its far forward position. Such displays provide important information for the vehicle occupants other than the driver and may be combined with the support of the present invention such that important information can be simultaneously provided to both the vehicle driver and remaining vehicle occupants including a front seat passenger.